Tactical Necessity
by wreckingduty
Summary: In a crossover between Overwatch and The One, an AU version of Soldier: 76 kills other AU versions of himself. [Note: This is a stalled work-in-progress and all possible updates will be slow and sporadic.]
1. Chapter 1

Note: This story is based on the movie The One, as such, it deals with death, violence, and murder. Please do not read if those topics bother you.

This story is a stalled work-in-progress. Any possible updates will be slow and sporadic.

* * *

This wasn't the first mission of this kind Soldier: 76 had been on, and if he had any say in the matter, it was far from the last.

He checked the device in his hand, tracking his target. He was still some distance away, so he didn't have to worry just yet.

The Soldier traveled on, checking the device every now and then as he got closer and closer.

He had obtained the device by stealing it from Talon-affiliated scientists. There had been a lot of chatter over it, some had claimed that it would give Talon the power they needed once and for all to become unstoppable.

Old habits, like old soldiers, die hard, and he had infiltrated the lab and beat the information out of the scientists.

It was some kind of wormhole device, created for a single nefarious purpose. The scientists cited papers and research, telling Soldier: 76 exactly what it was for.

What they were saying seemed like a joke, an elaborate hoax, but the more they went on, the more plausible it seemed. Apparently, there had been a successful test that had proved that it was ready and did exactly what it should.

Still not quite believing, the Soldier pressed the button and was instantly flung into a new universe much like the one he had left.

Reeling from the sudden transport, it took some time for him to gain his bearings. Once he did so, he turned to the device still in hand. He was lucky, as the dot showing him his target was somewhere close.

Sticking to the shadows and rooftops, he tracked him through the night, finally catching up.

Staying out of sight, he carefully peered over the edge, using his visor to zoom in on his target.

He was glad that he was on the rooftop, as he was far enough away that it hid his gasp of shock. There, beating up a couple of thugs in the alley was himself.

It was unmistakable. The jacket with the large 76 emblazoned on the back, the gray hair, the mask, and the gun he had stolen from the Watchpoint.

Soldier: 76 weighed his options. The scientists had told him that there were multiple universes out there, each one full of the same people. It had been discovered that whenever a version of yourself out there died, all of the other versions gained strength and power. It seems that all were drawing from a shared well.

Talon had wanted to use it for their own gain, but he could turn it against them. It would take some time for the scientists to make another device, they still had all their research, but, if he could beat Talon to the punch, he'd be strong enough to stop them and finally find out the truth of what had happened to Overwatch.

That made his choice simple. He watched and waited until his alternate self was done with those thugs, there was a part of the Soldier that had hoped they would do the job for him.

As the other Soldier walked away, he aimed his rifle and fired. Multiple Helix Rockets to the head and back of an unsuspecting target did their job quickly.

With that grisly task completed, he closed his eyes, feeling a slight surge as the other Soldier's strength had been redistributed. It was unmistakable, and he's certain he's felt it before, a time or two in the past. The other Soldiers must've died in the war, or somehow else. It didn't really matter, except that it made his job easier.

He's killed before, but this is the first time that he's killed like this. The fact that his other self wore the mask made the job easier. He couldn't see his own face as he died.

After that, he had been to several other universes, with similar results. Each world was slightly different, things always felt a little off.

Occasionally, there had been a brief fight with the other Soldiers, sometimes they detected him before he could get in position. But, usually that didn't last long. He knew all of their tricks and was able to take them out before they realized they were fighting with themselves.

It didn't get any easier each time. There wasn't much comfort in the fact that he knew most everyone thought them dead, that he was possibly doing these worlds a favor by ridding them of a vigilante. It didn't reflect too well on himself.

But, there was one universe that was different. It was obvious as soon as he arrived. Everything was brighter, and, as he checked the device, approximately 20 years newer.

At first, he wasn't too worried. There had been fluctuations in the times of the other universes, give or take a few years.

However, this was different. Those other universes had looked much like his did currently. This one did not.

As he carefully made his way through the city, his fears were proving more and more right. For some reason, this universe was behind the rest, and it showed. He was watching his past play out right in front of him.

Overwatch was still around. A beacon of hope that had shown through troubling times. Only Soldier: 76 knew that a storm was brewing on the horizon that would change all of that.

For the first time in this mission, he really hesitated. No one would miss the Soldier: 76s he had left in alleyways. But, Jack Morrison, the Strike Commander of Overwatch would be missed.

That, and he likely wouldn't be alone, unlike all of the other Soldiers. If he was to continue on, there would be much more risk involved. But, on the other hand, he has the power of hindsight, if it's close enough to his past, he'd be able to figure out what missions were going on and catch himself unaware.

However, at the moment, that's a pretty big if.

He knows that this Jack has a lot of work ahead of him. He'd lead Overwatch through its glory days and into the bleakest night. There was much he needed to do.

But, on the other hand, what if he wasn't around? Would things have gotten as bad as they did? Would Overwatch still be standing today if someone else had taken the helm?

He had time. Time enough to decide and time enough to figure out how to tackle the problem of himself.

Keeping an eye on the news, he was finally able to pinpoint when and where a mission was going to take place.

Getting there a day early, he waited.

Soldier: 76 knew this mission well. He had lost some good people that day, but in the end, they had been victorious.

That, and he had gone off on his own during combat, to chase a bad guy who had important intel. The enemy had gotten away from him, but his teammates had ended up capturing him when he ran their way. It would be perfect for an ambush.

Picking a spot, he had holed up until he heard the tell-tale sounds of the incoming chopper.

It was a little difficult to sit back and listen to the mission play out. He could easily visualize every shot with every cry.

Finally, it was go time.

He aimed at the entrance of the alleyway and waited for his younger self to come running through.

But, there was one thing he didn't take into account, and that was that in the heat of battle, his younger self was still on guard, and as such spotted the Soldier before he could fire.

Taking cover, Jack fired first, then ducked around to tell his teammates that there was another enemy on the rooftop and that he had lost visual on the one he had been pursuing. Ordering them to go after the one with the intel, he told them that he could take care of the one on the roof.

He peered around and quickly jerked his head back as a round of Helix Rockets nearly missed his face, embedding into the wall where his head had been.

The Soldier on the roof grumbled in frustration, his younger self had the advantage. As long as he wasn't stupid, Soldier: 76 couldn't get a clear shot at him. That, and once the bad guys were taken care of, his team would come after him. Time was running out and he had to end this quickly.

Climbing down the side of the building, he made his way to the ground. There was still a chance he could sneak up on his past.

Firing the Helix Rockets again, he chipped away at the hiding place Jack had snuck behind. The wall still stood, and so did Jack.

There was something else Soldier: 76 didn't account for, and that was, even though they were the same person, his younger self would be at least a fraction faster than he was.

This error almost cost him his own life as he barely jerked his head out of the way as he nearly got a faceful of pulse fire.

Some of the ammunition had hit their mark, blasting through the side of his mask and breaking it wide open.

Pushing through the pain, he continued on, knowing that Jack would make another move in just a moment.

His timing was off slightly, and Jack caught him square in the middle of the alley. However, when he got a sight of Soldier: 76 behind the mask, he hesitated. Even with the age, even with the scars, even with all the wounds and blood covering one side of his face, it was unmistakable that he was looking at his older self.

That hesitation is what cost him.

Full of pain and adrenaline, the Soldier took his shot. His Helix Rockets had recharged and made quick work of the Strike Commander.

The remains of Jack Morrison had barely hit the ground when several of his teammates had shown up to see a man suddenly disappear in front of them.

Nobody knew what they had seen, and anyone they told didn't believe them. It was considered something that their trauma had come up with in order for them to make sense of their leader being killed.

In the next universe over, Soldier: 76 had sunk with his back against a building and put his face in his hands as the enormity of what he had done had come crashing down.

He hadn't even thought about what he had done until it was too late. He had permanently changed that universe's course and ended his time in it before he could make the mistakes that had brought him to this point.

That world would never have a Soldier: 76, which would've been a little comfort if he hadn't just gunned himself down in his prime.

The actions he had taken today cemented his course. After that, he couldn't stop. He couldn't sacrifice his younger self for him to stop now. No. He had to kill the others. All of them. One by one, until only he remained. He owed it to Jack Morrison, his death wouldn't be in vain, none of them would be.

He picked himself up and checked the tracker. He had a ways to go before he caught up with himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: This story is based on the movie The One, as such, it deals with death, violence, and murder. Please do not read if those topics bother you.

This story is a stalled work-in-progress. Any possible updates will be slow and sporadic.

I really like the AU in this part and may do something more with it in the future.

* * *

Soldier: 76 had gotten to be a pro at shooting himself. After encountering his past self, he had had a string of universes containing other Soldier: 76es with not a Jack Morrison in sight.

He had taken a mask and visor off of one to replace his damaged set, after all, they wouldn't do any more good for the fallen Soldier.

Ensuring that he always had the element of surprise, he had taken down a good few versions of himself. So far, nothing had been drastically different. Sure, some of them had different color clothes, but in the grand scheme of things, that made very little difference.

Things had been going as well as they could for someone on such a gruesome mission. Emotionally, it didn't get easier with each kill, as he knew who they were and why they had become that way. But, it wasn't something he could dwell on or worry about, there were too many of them, too many worlds changed by the loss of their Soldier: 76es before their time. He couldn't afford to worry about those worlds when he was too concerned about his own.

How much progress had Talon had in building a second device? Soldier: 76 was cursing himself for not thinking to destroy their research before he tested out the equipment. They knew he had used the device and he had beaten the information out of them of what it was for, so they must know that he was using it for its intended purposes.

It was likely that one or more Talon members were rampaging through worlds as he was, killing off their alternate selves and perhaps those of their coworkers. They could send one person through to power up all of them.

So, he couldn't afford to rest or hesitate, lest Talon catches up or surpasses the number of worlds he's been to. He had to beat them to thinning their numbers down to until only one version of each person remained.

Unfortunately for Soldier: 76, the next world he went to was in the past, but, unlike before, it seemed that it was only a few years behind.

Sticking to the underbelly of the city he was in, he had been able to figure out when he was and where Overwatch's next mission was going to be.

He wasn't looking forward to killing his past self again, he still had some good work to be done. But, as far as Soldier: 76 saw it, he had no choice in the matter.

Arriving at the mission location ahead of time, he mentally prepared himself for the task at hand.

When the time came for the mission to start, he found a hiding place nestled by a building close to the landing site. He had already cleared this area of Talon agents, so it was unlikely that anybody would head his way.

He stayed there as he heard the dropship land and the chatter from the Overwatch agents as they readied themselves for the mission.

Soldier: 76 listened for a time as they spread out and went on their way. Memories were flooding back, he was familiar with this particular mission. It had technically been a success, but they had suffered heavy losses, especially…

He was cut off in mid-thought, having gotten lost in the past for a moment too long. He felt his consciousness slipping as he fell to the ground, he fell asleep before he felt himself hit the dirt.

Soldier: 76 woke up in a boarded up room. It was trashed, with very little furniture completely intact, save for the wooden chair he found himself tied to.

As he took a breath, trying to figure out what had happened, he realized that his mask and visor had been removed.

Looking around, he saw Jack Morrison walking towards him. But, something was different about him. Soldier: 76 didn't figure it out until he saw that Jack was carrying a sniper rifle over his shoulder.

It seems that Jack had given him a moment to wake up and adjust himself before speaking to him. Looks like he knows exactly how long it takes someone to regain consciousness after being hit with a sleep dart.

"I don't know who you are or why you have my face, but I don't have time for that now. I've got a team I need to protect, I'll deal with you later." He then raised his sidearm and fired another sleep dart into Soldier: 76, leaving him to dream of his threat.

This time, it's much longer until he wakes up, and the world is quiet. There's no shouting or gunshots or anything else.

He sits there for a moment as he recovers. In some ways, he considers himself lucky. If this world was the same as his, this was the mission that Ana had been killed. It appeared that the Jack in this world had taken her role, so that meant that Talon had done his dirty work for him. Someone else had killed Jack Morrison.

After realizing this, he got to work breaking free of his bonds. They weren't tied terribly tight, just enough to keep him sitting up.

Once he was free, he grabbed his mask and visor from the floor. The device he had stolen from Talon was several feet away.

He carelessly glanced down at it, knowing that it would show that there was one less Jack Morrison in the universe, but to his surprise, it showed a steady dot indicating that Jack Morrison was still alive.

Frowning, he picked up his gun and headed out, following the location of dot in almost a full-out run.

He wasn't afraid of being seen or getting caught, the mission was over and if there was anyone who hadn't been evacuated from the city, they likely were going to be too afraid to step foot in what had recently been a warzone.

It didn't take him long to reach Jack's position. Standing over the man, it didn't take him long to see that Jack was barely breathing. His eye had been shot out and his face rested in a growing pool of blood, but he was alive.

This takes Soldier: 76 aback. So far, everything had been the same as he had remembered it. All the missions, all the locations, everything. But, this…this was different. Jack had survived this mission. Had Ana?

Had Ana survived and they abandoned her? She had disobeyed orders, stayed behind, and cut communications. They had to get the hostages to safety, they couldn't wait for her without no word for long. Especially not when they heard one final gunshot followed by nothing. It had been so clear that Ana had died that he had never considered the alternative.

Standing over the unconscious Jack, he thinks back to this day the first time he had lived it. If they had just gone looking for Ana or sent drones or something, anything, they could've found her and brought her back home. Someone could've stayed behind. He could've stayed behind. He could've saved her.

He could've saved her and then maybe he wouldn't be here. Maybe he'd still be Jack Morrison instead of Soldier: 76. Maybe things wouldn't've turned out like they had with Gabriel. Maybe Overwatch might've still been disbanded, but it might've not been in disgrace like it was.

How would things be different if he had known that Ana had survived?

Finding out about her survival is almost overwhelming. He had always blamed himself for her death, but finding proof that he had abandoned her to die is nearly too much.

He's pulled out of his grief by the sound of distant voices. Apparently there had been a few bold people going through the wreckage of the city. He was out of time.

Putting his gun to Jack's temple, he softly says, "I'm sorry," before pulling the trigger.

There was an immediate rush of strength as soon as he had done so, having two bullets in his head was too much even for Jack Morrison.

He didn't need to check the device, this time he had felt Jack's death.

The voices were getting louder and more frantic, not wanting to be caught red-handed, Soldier: 76 quickly presses the button to be taken to another world.

He barely notices his arrival, sinking down to the ground in order to grieve.

By not going back for Ana, he had indirectly caused her death; by going back to find Jack, he had ensured his.

Ana's death had been a catalyst for change in his life, and now, he had caused that particular Jack's family and friends to go through the same thing he and the rest of his Overwatch had. Nothing would be the same for them from this point onward.

Nothing would be the same for him, either. The knowledge of Ana's survival hit him deeply, he had let her down, she'd still be alive if he had just gone back to find her.

But, at the end of the day, it had been one of Talon's operatives that had shot her in the first place.

It was Talon's fault she was dead, and this mission he's on will lead to their defeat. It had to.

He'll stop Talon once and for all, no matter what it takes. No matter how many Soldier: 76es or Jack Morrisions he had to kill to get there.

It's nighttime here in this world, that means there's likely a Soldier: 76 out there doing what he does best.

Standing up, he checks the tracker and chooses his path.

It was time for him to do what he did best, too.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: This story is based on the movie The One, as such, it deals with death, violence, and murder. Please do not read if those topics bother you.

This story is a stalled work-in-progress. Any possible updates will be slow and sporadic.

The AU in this part is one of my favorites and I hope to do more with it at some point.

* * *

Even though it's been a while and multiple different worlds since he's found out that Ana may have survived, it's been a thought constantly on Soldier: 76's mind.

It's hardened his resolve, not only to stop Talon for good, but for him to finally get back to his world so he could find some answers. Somebody had to know what happened to her or her body after that mission.

But, judging by the number of Soldier: 76es still left on the device, his return was going to be a long time coming. He's thinned their numbers out, but there had been a large amount to begin with.

He's thankful that he's had a streak of relatively normal kills, it was easy when he had the drop on other versions of himself, most of them never saw him coming. It helped take his mind off Ana, at least for a little while.

However, something feels off about the next world. Everything seems similar, but there's something different about it that he just can't put his finger on.

He doesn't dwell on that thought for long, as it's clear that he's back in the past, smack dab in the middle of Overwatch's glory days. Those days were the hardest to revisit, both in his memories and in the here and now.

With a sigh, he strikes out to find out what he's been up to.

Soldier: 76 finds an observation point close to an Overwatch base and settles in to keep an eye on things.

It takes a while for him to find his past self, some days, he hadn't been able to get out much because of all his various responsibilities.

As soon as he spots this world's version of himself, the vague off-ness about the place suddenly becomes clear.

The Strike Commander striding through the base is a woman.

She's definitely this world's version of him, her face nearly matches his own, though younger, more feminine, and scar-less. She appears to be of the exact same height and build, everything is the same, except her gender.

With this in mind, he looks around at the rest of the crew, now identifying people left and right. Everyone looked nearly how they did in his world, their genders were just scrambled here.

Soldier: 76 sighs softly, this was a complication he hadn't expected, but he couldn't let it get in his way. She was still him, and as such, he had to eliminate her, too.

He brings his attention back to where he had last seen her, but even after looking around, he can't pick up her tracks again. While he had been looking at everyone else, she had vanished.

Grumbling to himself, he sits back at ease. He'll have to keep a better eye on her when she resurfaces.

He didn't have to wait long.

A shot rang out, and he felt a bullet speed by dangerously close to his face. Whipping around, he spotted the Strike Commander running across the next building and easily jumping over to the one he was on.

She held her rifle ready, but didn't seem like she was going to shoot at him again. Yet.

"If you wanted to see our base, you could've dropped by for a visit."

He'd been found out. Soldier: 76 responded roughly, "I'm not exactly here for a social visit. You're not going to like why I'm here."

With him revealing that fact, he fires at her. However, she'd been ready for it, and easily dodges out of the way.

"Sorry to hear that, but whatever your mission is, it's over now." She fires back at him, this time using the Helix Rockets.

Soldier: 76 manages to avoid getting hit, though he notes that he's just slightly slower than she is. She's got the advantages of youth and confidence on her side, and it shows. He remembers those days, how easily everything seemed to come to him.

However, he's got his own advantages as well. Experience can trump a lot of things, and he's also got the element of surprise. He knows who she is, she has no idea that he's an older version of herself.

For now, he's got to get out of the open, darting past to build up speed, he leaps to another rooftop, knowing she'll follow. After all, he would've done the same.

They travel across the city, trading shots, but neither hitting the other. He's leading her further and further away from Overwatch and any support she could call. This has to end soon, he knows that her endurance is greater than his, it might not be by much, but it'd be more than enough to make up the distance between life and death.

Finally he lands on an industrial building that had plenty of places for him to duck behind and hide.

He knew she was hot on his trail, so he turned around to fire at her, trying to hit her mid-jump and send her falling below.

His shot hits, but it wasn't enough to stop her. She lands awkwardly, rolling to right herself and lifting her gun to fire another round of Helix Rockets.

Her aim was true and one of the rockets strikes Soldier: 76 in the chest, the other two spiraling off past him.

He falls to the ground with a heavy thud. He hears her dart behind something, and he lies still. He had thought about standing up, however, he had a feeling she had chose her shot carefully. If she had hit him with all three rockets, he would've been a mess. One rocket would be enough to kill someone and leave them intact.

However, he wasn't a normal person. Being a super soldier had its perks, he was able to survive things most people couldn't. And, as far as he knew, she had no idea that he was as genetically enhanced as she was.

So, he waits. If he had been in her position, he'd come over to investigate.

Soldier: 76 hears her moving, her footsteps stop and start as she darts around. She's circling him cautiously, a tactical move that makes sense. If he happened to still be alive, he could kick and punch and gain the upper hand.

But, even with her careful maneuvering, she didn't account for his speed.

The Strike Commander approaches him from what would be the behind if he was standing. She walks towards his head, never easing her grip on her gun.

She nudges Soldier: 76's shoulder, and upon seeing or feeling no reaction, she takes one hand off her gun and starts to lean over to reach down and pull off his mask, to see the identity of her mysterious enemy.

This was her mistake.

As soon as she leans close enough in range, he rapidly lifts his gun, positioning it beneath her head and lifting up her chin slightly, then firing straight through her.

His shot was true and he only barely takes the time to check the device as he scrambles to his feet. He feels the surge of power that comes from destroying a version of yourself, but doesn't pay any notice.

All of Overwatch likely heard that shot through her headset and would come running to assist their Strike Commander, he couldn't waste any time.

Once on his feet, he presses the button to take him to another world. He travels through and ends up in another city.

Soldier: 76 leans an arm against the wall and takes a breather, he'd need some time to rest and recover, physically and emotionally.

It was rough killing any past version of himself, especially when they were still in the glory days of Overwatch. There was still so much good she could've done, so many people's lives she should've touched.

But, she was dead, and in the end, just a number that he counted down. Just like any other Soldier: 76 or Jack Morrison.

That world would morn her, mourn her as his had mourned him. Except, she was dead in her prime, and he was secretly alive past his. He had risen and fell with Overwatch, perhaps now her Overwatch would outlive his.

That was the only comfort he could derive from the situation, with someone else at the helm, maybe they wouldn't make the mistakes that Morrisons were prone to.

With his adrenaline fading, he finally starts noticing the pain from the Helix Rocket that had struck him. She had made her mark, both in her world and on him.

Sitting down, Soldier: 76 activates a Biotic Field to heal himself. It couldn't fix everything, but he didn't want it to.

Her mark on her own world would persist, and so would the one she left on him. He had plenty of scars already, he didn't mind adding one more.

* * *

Note: This AU Strike Commander is named Jacqueline Morrison.


End file.
